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Questions
Women Ask About MENOPAUSE...
In
case you haven't noticed, there is a huge number of women between the
ages of 45 and 55 in this
country today. In fact,
between now and 2010, at least forty million women will be at menopausal
age. As
the gigantic Baby Boomer generation reaches 50, they are likely to
change the way we think about menopause just the way they have changed
so many other things in our society.
They are talking about issues their mothers only dared whisper,
and they are debunking the mysteries of "The Change" by
deciding -- together -- that it is no longer the beginning of the end. These
women have chosen to think of menopause as a threshold...signalling a
time in their lives when they are free to do all those things they have
waited a lifetime to do. Anthropologist
Margaret Mead is credited with saying, "There is no greater power
in the world than the zest of a postmenopausal woman," and
there are more and more Baby Boomers who agree with her.
Researchers now suggest that the body of a postmenopausal woman
produces considerably more testosterone -- the male hormone -- than it
did before the change. While
there is certainly a lot more information available about menopause
these days, every woman's experience is unique.
So it makes sense to discuss your concerns with your doctor and
to ask any questions you may have. Here
are some questions women frequently ask: Q.
When
is menopause likely to start? A.
There is no simple answer to this question.
Eight out of every hundred women go through it before age forty, and
researchers now say that American women are experiencing the symptoms
earlier than the previous average age.
Doctors suggest that women who are the Type A personalities --
who are constantly on the go and who are under considerable stress --
often experience early menopause. Generally
speaking, however, the "average" age of menopause is 51.
Somewhere between the ages of 45 and 55, women begin to
experience a year or two of irregular periods, fluctuations in body
temperature, and some other unfamiliar and vague physical or emotional
symptoms. The biological
impact of the change does not happen overnight, it is a gradual process
that may cover as much as ten years.
After a woman has gone for an entire year without menstruating,
the process is considered complete. Q.
How will it affect me? A.
Just as it is almost impossible to predict when menopause will
occur, there is no way of knowing ahead of time exactly how the process
will affect a woman. Some
are virtually unaware of any change at all, and others find themselves
suffering from a wide range of unpleasant and frightening symptoms. Every
woman does, however, experience the decline in estrogen production. As
the hormonal changes begin to occur, it is not unusual for
a woman to feel "strange" and even a little off balance. The
"classic" symptom of menopause is the hot flash
-- or medically speaking, vasomotor instability -- when the skin
temperature rises, then falls, and is accompanied by sweating and heart
palpitations, nausea and anxiety. Research
shows that three out of four women experience them. Q.
Will menopause affect my sex life? A.
Many women find it has a positive impact instead of the negative
one they fear. Physiological
changes may cause vaginal dryness, but this is usually corrected by
estrogen replacement therapy or products available without prescription
from the drug store. A
woman's desire to have sex is influenced by
her body's level of the male hormone, testosterone, just as it is
for men. Studies show that
about 30 percent of menopausal women experience a temporary lack of
interest in sex. (This
condition now has a name -- Androgen Insufficiency Syndrome -- and it is
treated with testosterone.) For many women, once the fear of an unwanted pregnancy disappears, the enjoyment and desire for sexual intimacy increases. Any specific concerns should be candidly discussed with her husband, and her doctor will be an excellent resource for answering questions and suggestions for minimizing the symptoms of menopause. Today, women define their sexuality in different ways; there is absolutely no reason for menopause to interfere.
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Randy A. Birken, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.O.G. Copyright 2000-2006 Randy A. Birken, M.D., F.A.C.S.,
F.A.C.O.G. All Right
Reserved
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